Mac mini
Apple’s cheapest desktop computer
MacFormat
Best Buy
M2 Pro, 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 16GB memory, 512GB SSD
£1,399
Don’t be fooled by its size. The modern Mac mini is a powerhouse.
Really need a Mac but you don’t have much money – or maybe space? Then the Mac mini is perfect. Prices start at £649, and all current Mac mini models are powered by Apple’s own M2 system-on-a-chip (SoC).
The Mac mini is just 19.7cm square and 3.58cm deep, and weighs from 1.18kg. This makes it very transportable. If you use a Mac in the office and also from home, you could set up a screen and a keyboard in both places and carry the Mac mini between them. It’s powerful enough for most tasks, and it has two USB-A ports, Gigabit Ethernet, an HDMI port and a 3.5mm headphone jack, plus either two or four Thunderbolt 4 ports depending on the model you choose.